DEC Announces 2022 Hunting Season Ties Record for Safest-Ever Year

[NYSDEC]

DEC Announces 2022 Hunting Season Ties Record for Safest-Ever Year

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

View the full article

[nywaw]

I thought this was a good article, touches on the gun safety aspects and also treestand safety aspects.

 

DEC encourages hunters to remember the primary rules of hunter safety:

• Treat every firearm as if it were loaded;
• Control the muzzle, keep it pointed in a safe direction;
• Identify your target and what lies beyond;
• Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire; and
• Wear hunter orange and pink.

For the past several years, DEC has also tracked and investigated Elevated Hunting Incidents (EHIs), previously referred to as tree stand incidents. EHIs are underreported and DEC is not always notified when falls occur. In 2022, DEC received reports of 13 EHIs, four of which were fatal. Only two of the 13 hunters involved were wearing a safety harness. Tree-stand safety is integrated into DEC's hunter education course because those incidents have become a major cause of hunting-related injuries. The proper use of tree-stands and tree-stand safety equipment will help prevent injuries and fatalities. Used correctly, a full body harness and a lifeline keep hunters connected from the time they leave the ground to the moment they get back down.

Most tree-stand incidents are preventable when hunters follow the "ABCs" of tree stand safety:

• Always inspect the tree stand before every use;
• Buckle full body harness securely every time; and
• Connect to the tree before your feet leave the ground.

[grampy]

Great news, and great advice from DEC !

[ATbuckhunter]

Good to hear, but makes me laugh because this is the first year ive had rounds flying at me in public land. Had them hitting the hill side I was sitting on. 

[grampy]

7 minutes ago, ATbuckhunter said:

Good to hear, but makes me laugh because this is the first year ive had rounds flying at me in public land. Had them hitting the hill side I was sitting on. 

Sorry to hear that!!! Really sucks you had a close call because some idiot was negligent. 

Glad you are ok.

[ATbuckhunter]

1 minute ago, grampy said:

Sorry to hear that!!! Really sucks you had a close call because some idiot was negligent. 

Glad you are ok.

I appreciate it! It was a group of 4 or so guys actually. They were posted up about 20 or so yards away from each other in restricted land. I knew where a group of deer were traveling and set up to get a shot. When they came by I took a large doe and the rest ran towards them. Well they opened up on those running deer and the rounds were hitting the hillside I was on. at the time I didn't realize why I would hear two "Bangs" for every shot they took. MY friend who was in the military was the one who pointed out that was the rounds hitting the hillside we're on. Best part is they didn't hit not one of those deer as they all came right back towards me. They even tried to claim the deer I dropped was one they hit. They took off running when my friends mentioned he was calling the DEC. I hope we don't see them next year cause my friend will not be so nice to them.

[mowin]

16 minutes ago, ATbuckhunter said:

Good to hear, but makes me laugh because this is the first year ive had rounds flying at me in public land. Had them hitting the hill side I was sitting on. 

I imagine that happens way too often on public lands.  It would scare the crap out of me, and piss me off at the same time. 

[ATbuckhunter]

Just now, mowin said:

I imagine that happens way too often on public lands.  It would scare the crap out of me, and piss me off at the same time. 

I've been hunting public land the last few years fairly heavily, but this is the first time its happened. Everyone else was pretty good thankfully. 

[boo711]

I hunt some property that has state land on the other side of the road. Thanksgiving morning as I was taking a little walk I could see a pickup truck parked on other side of the road. A short time later I heard 5 shots. The last 4 a couple seconds after the first one. When on my way home I saw 2 guys standing at the pickup truck. I stopped and asked if they had any luck. One said he missed. Said he had a doe come running through the brush he got a shot at then saw a buck behind her that he got four shots at. I asked if it was a nice buck and he said “no it was just a spike”. 
I’m not knocking him for shooting at a spike. His choice. I just question send 5 slugs through the fields of state land at a running deer. Could have been other guys pretty close. 
About  25 years ago I went out hunting the same state land after work one night with a couple guys from work. We got out there early as we worked until 4:30 AM. After sitting about 35 minutes I hear one shot. Close to me. Real close. Was about close to 6 AM. As it starts getting light i notice orange about 40 yards away from me. I get up to move and he waves to me. Don’t know if it was accidental or if he was actually shooting at something. Haven’t gun hunted state land since. Always seems to be a ton of guys out there around me on the state land. One reason I don’t like the 1/2 hr before & after sunrise/sunset rule. There are times it is still kind of dark. 
 

RIP Michael. 
 

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by boo711

[nywaw]

I see this hit the news in a number of places in NY in the last 24 hours, great job by the hunters keeping things safe out there!